Tire-molding apparatus



C. W. STICKEL.

TIRE MOLDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FiLED JULY 2. 1920.

1376,1230 Patented Apr. 26,1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

I I #2720? Z07; I 219 6% w Z MZ .6. W. STICKEL.

TIRE MOLDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULYZ, 1920.

Patented Apr. 26 119211..

2 SHEETSSHEET 2k CHARLES W. STIOKELOF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TOGOOD LUCK TIRE 6t RUBBER 00., F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION 015ARIZONA,

TIRE-MOLDING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. S'rIGKEL, a citizen of the United States,residmg at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York,have invented'new and useful Improvements in Tire-Molding Aparatus, ofwhich the following is a specication. This invention relates to anapparatus for tire molds whereby the upper and lower mold sections maybe brought together for vulcanizing or curing the tire and separated forpermitting the insertlon and removal thereof.

It is the object of this invention to provide an apparatus ofthischaracter for guiding and moving one of the mold sections toward andfro-m the other uniformly, steadily and in parallelism.

A further object is to provide means whereby the mold sections arealways in vertical alinement with one another.

A still further object is to provide a simple and eficient apparatus ofthis character which utilizes a minimum. amount of power and labor.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a tire mold embodying my improvement. 2isa front view thereof, partly in section. Flg. 3 is a transversevertical section on line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transversevertical section on line k4, Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

10 represents the lower section of the mold body which is preferablyfixed or stationary, and 11 the upper section which is movable towardand from the other section. Both sections are of annular form and areprovided with annular recesses 12 of substantially semi-circular form incross section which together form a cavity for the reception of the tirebeing treated. The lower section 10 may be supported in any suitablemanner, for instance, on legs or standards 13 bolted or otherwisefastened to the bottom thereof.

The means for moving the upper mold section toward and from the lowermold secjournaled adjacent their lower ends in bear- Specification ofLetters Patent. Patented Apr. 26, 11921 Application filed eul 2,

1920. Serial No. 393,505.

' in s 15 formed in the base supports 16, these ro s being supported attheir bottoms on step or thrust bearin s 17, each of which is n the formof a balfi Each of these bearmgs lsseated in a recess 18 formed in abridge or cross piece 19 arranged on the intenor of the base, and theopposing end of each screw is provided with a similar recess or socket20 w ich rests on the ball bearing. These screw rods are also supportedabove the supports 15 but below the bottom of the lower'mold section 10in bearin arms 21 which are connected to each other% tie rods 22. Sandscrew rods are provi ed with square threads and are threaded from apoint above the bearing arms 21 to the top of the rods.

The upper mold section is provided with a plurality of nuts in the formof brackets 23 which are bolted or otherwise fastened to the outer wallthereof and which are provided with threaded openings 24. engaging withthe screw rods 14:, so that when the latter are turned in one directionor the other, the mold section 11 is correspondingly raised or lowereduniformly and in a vertical path.

The screw rods 14 are prevented from longitudinal movement relatively tothe mold sections and for this purpose the lower end of each screw rodis provided with a thrust collar 35. pinned or otherwise secured theretowhich bears at its upper side against the opposing edge of the flange 36formed in the head of the respective base 16.

The lower ends of the screw rods above their respective base 16 areprovided with sprocket wheels 25, all of which are connected by anendless sprocket chain 26 passing around the outer sides thereof, so asto rotate in unison, and thereby cause a uniform and steady raising andlowering of the upper mold section relatively to the lower one. Thefront portion of this chain passes around a sprocket wheel 27 mounted ona vertical shaft 28 journaled at its lower end. in a bearing formed in abracket 29 and at its upper end in a bearing 30 fixed to the outer wallof the lower mold section. By transmitting motion to the shaft 28, thescrew rods are simultaneously rotated through the medium of thesprocket-wheels and chain connected therewith, and the upper moldsectiom is-correspondingly raised or lowered. Ally means may be employedfor rotating this shaft, but preferably bybearing bracket 29 and rotatedby a suitable hand wheel 34 secured to its outer end.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 4 of thedrawings, with the respective mold sections separated from each other,the tire to be treated is placed in the lower mold section. The handwheel 31! is then rotated in the proper direction to cause the uppersection to be lowered into engagement with the lower section, the finalturn or turns of the hand wheel causing the sections to be forcedtightly together in parallelism and under umform pressure at all sidesthereof. After the tire is properly treated and it is desired toseparate the mold sections, the'hand wheel is turned in the oppositedirection to raise the upper sections sufliciently to permit theconvenient removal of the'tire therefrom.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus of-the character described, the combination of astationary lower mold section, an upper mold section movable relativelyto said lower mold section, and means for raising and lowerin said uppermold section relatively to said lower mold section comprising bearingsupports, vertical screw rods journaled in said supports, screw nutsarranged on said upper mold section and engaging with saidscrews,

' wheels,

sprocket wheels mounted on the latter, a. sprocket chain connected tosaid sprocket and means for transmitting motion to said chain.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of astationary lower mold section, an upper mold section movable relativelyto said lower sections, and means for raisin and lowering said uppermold section re atively to the lower section comprising base supportsarran ed adjacent to said lower mold section, vertlcal screw rodsjournaled in said supports, screw nuts arranged on said upper moldsection and engaging with said screws, sprocket wheels mounted on thelatter, a sprocket chain connected to said sprocket wheels, and

means for transmitting motion to said chain.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of astationary lower mold section, an upper mold section movable relativelyto 'said lower section, base supports arranged adjacent to said lowersectionand I provided with stop flanges, a step bearing arranged in eachof said supports, vertical screw rods journaled in the latter'andsupported on said bearings, eachof said screw rods being provided wlth athrust collar engaging the o posing edge of the flange ofthecorresponding support, screw nuts arranged on said upper mold sectionand engaging with said screw rods, ilnd means for simultaneouslyrotating the atter.

CHARLES W. STICKEL.

